Who is Terry Gilliam?
Who is Terry Gilliam?
Terry Gilliam is a writer, director and animator most well know for his cut-out animations as well as working with the Monty Python comedy troupe.
He also wrote and directed for movies such as Brazil (1985) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1988).
In this post we'll give a very basic overview of his life and his animation method.
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Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on the 22nd of November, 1940 ₍₁₎. Growing up on a healthy diet of Disney cartoons and MAD magazines ₍₂₎.
He later go on the study at the Occidental College, Los Angeles where he got to work on own magazine gig with the colleges own satirical magazine Fang.
And through this experience went to work for another magazine this time called Help! ₍₃₎ in New York City where he bumped into the actor and future Python, John Cleese ₍₄₎. He also did some freelance work for some advertising agencies around the area where at one point police though he was a drug addict ₍₅₎.
However, after Help! magazine got folded and political tensions were rising within the 60's America, he decided to moved to England to find work, jokingly stating he was 'Being transferred to the European branch' of the company. Once arriving he found himself working for various television productions such as the children's show ‘Do Not Adjust your Set’ (1967-1969) where he worked on some of his first animations as well as creating shorts such as Storytime (1968) ₍₆₎.It was through these programs where he met up with the Monty Python's and got his big break working on Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-1974) as an animator and eventually becoming the fifth member of Monty Python.
Terry would reconice
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Terry created short animated skits and transitions using his paper cut out method. He used his method of animation as it was the "quickest and easiest form of animation [he] knows". The limitations of cut out animation also allows for creative problem solving creating outlandish and surreal imagery such as a man with wheels for legs or a jumping hippo.
Terry's method was no secret as in 1974 he showed he method on Bob Godfrey's short lived BBC1 series, Do-It-Yourself Animation Show.
Terry sources his images from a wide array of sources which include: Magazines, books, family photo and postcards as well as his own airbrush drawings. The use of airbrushing allows to created more dimensional characters as airbrushing is great for dynamic shading. His drawing are often cartoony with his characters being made from mostly bulbous shapes which creates this stark contrast with the cut outs of classical art and real world photography. Cut-out also allows for playing with perspective and scale of objects turning everyday objects into larger than life landscapes or worlds.
Due to the limitations of this method, it's a lot harder to make fluid movements unlike traditional hand drawn animation rather they are quick and punchy. This makes it more suited for comedy or violent actions due to these more harsh movements. Understanding the limits really helps get the most out of the medium.
As all animations, Terry starts by creating a storyboard outlining the main story and actions whilst noting things such as sound effects, dialogue and timing underneath.
Once that's done he will then begin to cut out his chosen images with a scalpel. the outlines of each cut out is filled in with a black felt tips pen to help give the illusion that everything is all in one image rather than white speckles paper to show. If he is animating a famous piece or is cutting out the arms and legs of a particular character then multiple then multiple copies of the image are needed either through having multiple versions of that particular magazine of just by making photocopies. Often because of the amount of items that are cut out, smaller pieces will have to to be kept together in envelopes or kept together with tape.
Firstly the background in floor are placed, the floor itself is basic airbrushed rectangle, then background items such as trees, rocks and buildings. Then the characters on top of that.
the work itself is is then put together using a very simple set up. Firstly, two large lamps are used to help get rid of any shadows that may break the illusion that is it all one cohesive image. Padding for underneath the image to help cushion everything and Perspex sheet to keep everything steady. Terry also uses a guides draw on paper which functions similarly to a timing chart. For each frame the all the pieces are manually moved and photographed with the pieces often moving out of position, to keep everything in place he uses basic tape.
The photos are then put together with sound and you have a finished of animation.
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In conclusion, Terry is one of Britain's most loved American animators and screenwriters for his hands on method of animating, a surreal, magical-realism style, a sense of humour that is unapologetically silly and being possibly being a little bit mad.
Being on of the few members of the original Monty Python still around with us in the time of me writing this he is an important icon to people of both the UK and USA. And we hope we to hear more from him as time goes on.
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Extra Research-
- Word Document- David Adams
- Word Document- David Brawn
- Word Document- Rosemary Brown
- Blog post - Christina Alexopoulos- https://alexopoulosanimation.blogspot.com/
Sources-
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Terry-Gilliam
- https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/26940/1/the-art-that-inspired-terry-gilliam
- https://www.helpmag.com/cover_pages/cover_page_19.htm
- http://www.montypython.com/python_Terry_Gilliam/19
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000416/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6DrxyfBboE&t=169s
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOqcHCEqO1k&t=1s
Extra/ Stuff Found After the Fact-
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